By Park Hyong-ki
Staff Reporter
Companies listed on the benchmark KOSPI stock market saw higher exports in the first half despite the global economic slowdown.
According to the Korea Exchange Thursday, 399 listed companies posted exports worth a combined 148.7 trillion won in the first six months of this year, up 25 percent from the same period a year ago.
Samsung Electronics was top with 28 trillion won, followed by LG Electronics with 10.8 trillion won and Hyundai Motor with 10.3 trillion won.
Exports accounted for 78 percent of the electronics industry's revenue, the highest among industrial sectors.
The chemical sector enjoyed the highest export growth in the first half, backed by rising oil costs. Companies such as S-Oil and LG Chem saw their profitability jump.
Heavy machinery and electronics followed energy in posting brisk export growth.
Of the country's top 10 conglomerates, the Samsung Group led in exports with 38.5 trillion won overseas, up 24 percent. LG, Hyundai Automotive and Hyundai Heavy Industries followed.
Ten conglomerates posted exports worth a combined 98.6 trillion won, up 24 percent, while domestic sales reached 41.6 trillion won, up 17 percent.
The combined sales of listed companies at home recorded 99.7 trillion won, up 18 percent.
Steel giant POSCO ranked first in the domestic market with sales of 9.3 trillion won, followed by Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor.
S-Oil, however, saw its domestic sales rise 47 percent, the highest in the country, hitting 4.3 trillion won.
Among conglomerates, Hyundai Automotive and its seven listed affiliates had the biggest domestic sales of 17.8 trillion won, up 17 percent. The Samsung Group came in second with 9.6 trillion won.